It’s that time of the year when desperate gardeners in search of an Heirloom Mirliton see one at a garden store and snatch it up. But garden stores are notorious for selling mirliton plants without naming the variety or grower. They may well be an authentic Louisiana heirloom variety, but if you buy from a garden store, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace, you are taking a risk. That’s why we advise people to only purchase seed and plants from members of this group because we verify that they are selling authentic, certified heirlooms.
But, if you buy from a garden center, we recommend checking the plant label to confirm it is a named Certified Louisiana Heirloom Variety. All the named varieties are in the post below. If the label says it’s an “unnamed variety”, ask the store owner who sold them the seed. You will also find a list of all the people growing and selling unnamed varieties in the post. If it has no label and the store owner won’t tell you where they got it, turn around and go home.
We are the only organization in the U.S. that certifies heirloom mirlitons, and we do so to ensure people receive a variety that grows well in our region.
See the list of named varieties and the list of people selling unnamed varieties here.